Justin Gaethje regrets letting emotions get the better of him against Charles Oliveira
![UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje: Charles Oliveira after his win against Justin Gaethje (right) [Image courtesy of Getty]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/07/38366-16566887407717-1920.jpg?w=500)
Justin Gaethje recently revealed that he couldn't keep his emotions in check during his fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 274.
Oliveira vs. Gaethje was an entertaining back-and-forth contest while it lasted. 'The Highlight' managed to drop the Brazilian but was ultimately choked out in the first round. Gaethje fought in a reckless manner, winging wild punches at 'do Bronx' before the Brazilian landed one of his own that eventually led to the finish.
The former interim champion stated to the media at the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony that he lost control of his emotions during the fight:
"At the end of the day, being at home, in front of my crowd, sometimes you lose control of your emotions. I am not exactly sure what happened. I had the time of my life, it's a crazy game we play."
Watch Justin Gaethje talk to the media at the UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony:
The UFC 274 pay-per-view took place in Gaethje's hometown of Arizona. The majority of the crowd at the Footprint Center were in favor of the former interim champion. However, he was unable to capitalize on the home support and realize his dreams of becoming a UFC champion.
This was the second time in his career that the 33-year-old fought for the undisputed UFC belt. Gaethje was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov in his first shot at UFC gold in October 2020.
Justin Gaethje reveals timeline for UFC return
Despite his loss, Justin Gaethje sits at the No.3 spot in the UFC lightweight rankings. He is expected to return against a top contender in his next fight. However, the Arizona native revealed that he is set to undergo nose surgery soon.
Gaethje added that he will take a month off after the surgery and then return to training. He gave a timeline of the end of 2022 or the start of 2023 for his return:
"I'm gonna get nose surgery July 14th. Take a good month to recover and get back to work. I think end of the year, most likely early next year. There's a few fights that are going to happen, so I 'll let those happen. I want a clear two or three fight path back to the title. I want to earn it like I should. I've a great manager. So, I am not worried about it too much. I'll be ready to fight."
Watch Gaethje's top finishes in the UFC below: